Android 12.1 tests likely foldable phone improvements for the Pixel Fold

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Android’s next big update will launch on October 4, according to a document reviewed by XDA. Android 12 will be the biggest update to the Android operating system in years, bringing a complete overhaul, a new theme engine, one-handed mode, and more. Due to the scale of the update, it is possible that Google ran out of time to add one or more planned features, pushing those features to the next version. We recently learned that the next version of Android might be a one-time update, but we didn’t know why at the time. Now, we’ve learned a bit more about the features planned for the alleged Android 12.1 update, and they involve several improvements to the foldable phone experience.

The Android 12 sc-v2 version, which should be called Android 12.1, will improve on a feature first seen in the early Android 12 developer previews. In Android 12 Developer Preview 2, we enabled a “taskbar” feature. Hidden in the pixel launcher that appears at the bottom of the screen where the navigation bar normally resides and displays a handful of your frequently used apps and recently used apps. This taskbar was developed for large screen devices like tablets, which have screens more suited to multitasking.

However, since we first saw the taskbar in Developer Preview 2, we haven’t seen any major improvements in functionality in subsequent Android 12 previews. The reason, as we’ve now learned, is that Google was working on the behind-the-scenes feature for Android 12.1. Additionally, we’ve learned that Google is developing this taskbar feature for another class of big-screen devices: foldable phones. This makes intuitive sense, as foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Huawei Mate X2 are essentially mini tablets when unfolded. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 even displays tablet versions of many apps when unfolded, and if rumors are true, the Google Pixel Fold could be as tall as Samsung’s foldable at 7.57 inches when unfolded. While we can’t directly confirm whether Google is developing Android’s taskbar feature specifically for the Pixel Fold, we can confirm that foldables are one of the form factors this feature is intended for.

Google’s internal AOSP codebase contains several enhancements to the currently barebone taskbar functionality. The code changes that implement the taskbar tutorial describe some of its intended functionality. First, entering the tutorial will display an animation described as a “wave” in which the icons scale and translate up, then down. The tutorial then explains how you will be able to launch two apps in split screen mode by dragging an app icon to one side of the screen, tap and hold to hide the taskbar at any time (docking) and add your apps. favorite / planned applications in the taskbar. Once configured, the taskbar stays at the bottom of the screen but hides automatically when an app goes full screen.

One of the code changes implementing the taskbar tutorial included a picture of the feature in action. The image, embedded below, shows a foldable phone running two instances of Chrome side-by-side, a feature currently under testing. The split screen separator line is visible between the two Chrome windows, while the taskbar is centered and spans the bottom of both halves.

New taskbar for foldable phones running Android 12.1

Google included this image in its initial implementation of the taskbar tutorial, but then replaced it with a more generic rendering. Google is unlikely to have swapped the image because it accidentally showed the never-before-seen Pixel Fold, but the presence of the image at least suggests that Google is developing the feature with foldable phones in mind.

This isn’t the only software change in Android 12.1 aimed at improving the foldable phone experience, however. Various fixes in Android 12.1 add better handling of unwinding animation in SystemUI. For example, one patch describes a “move from center” animation for taskbar icons when unfolding a foldable phone. Another patch adds support for the hinge angle sensor during the unfold animation. Another fix is ​​to open an activity from a preinstalled system or app in 2-paned mode whenever that activity is deeply tied from settings.

We don’t have a full picture of what to expect from Android 12.1, but it’s clear to us that we should expect some improvements for foldable phones in addition to a new wallpaper. We don’t know if Google intends to launch the Pixel Fold with Android 12.1, but that would make sense given all the new folding-related fixes we’ve seen in the mid-release. Unfortunately, the Pixel Fold is Google’s most elusive Pixel phone yet, with only a handful of supply chain leaks hinting at its possible display specs. The phone, codenamed “passport,” has been a well-kept secret, and mentions of it are rare, even in non-public AOSP repositories. However, an internal code change indicates a possible screen resolution of 2208 × 1804 and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, although we cannot verify any of the specs as there is no direct mention in the “passport” device update note. We’ll have to wait until the phone nears launch before we can find out more about it.

Speaking of which, Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), believes the Pixel Fold will launch. by the end of the year with an LTPO OLED panel and variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. If the phone launches in Q4 2021, we’d be surprised because Google doesn’t have the best record when it comes to leak containment.



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